Indonesia is one of Asia's fastest-growing economies in terms of energy consumption. With a steadily growing population of nearly 270 million and an increasing rate of urbanisation, there is a significant need for a reliable and guaranteed power supply throughout the archipelago. In recent years, the country has successfully increased their installed capacity and investments in infrastructure to both improve the reliability and efficiency of the main grids and increase the electrification of the small grids.
In 2016, a valued customer of ours, PT PLN, ordered a 135 MW Flexicycle™ power plant from Wärtsilä, to provide power to the grid in Lombok, an island located east of Bali and west of Sumbawa in the West Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia.
Reliable and cost-efficient energy
The PLN Lombok GECC power plant, delivered in 2019, is powered by 13 Wärtsilä 34DF engines that can run on light fuel oil and liquified natural gas. When the gas supply is uncertain or prices are volatile, it is possible to switch from gas to liquid fuel, and vice versa, even during operation, while maintaining a high output. Wärtsilä gas engines reach over 50% electrical efficiency, which translates into considerable savings in fuel costs compared to other technologies.
Built in a consortium with PT Pembangunan Perumahan (Persero) Tbk (PT PP), one of Indonesia's largest construction contractors, the PLN Lombok GECC 135 MW power plant is the first Flexicycle power plant in Indonesia. The power plant is able to operate in two different dispatch modes: 50% of its capacity being baseload and the remaining engines in the power plant supporting frequency control for the island, which allows an existing 20 MW solar PV plant to operate without battery energy storage.
In addition to the power plant's primary functions, the Wärtsilä engines have effectively balanced the intermittency caused by solar power in Lombok's power system. The island hosts four 5 MWp solar PV installations operating without energy storage support. The engine power plant’s flexibility enables PT PLN to add more solar PV capacity in the future without the need to add energy storage, but rather leveraging the already existing Wärtsilä's extensive installed base in Indonesia. The ability to integrate more renewable energy assets into the existing power system in the future further will continue to reduce the system's levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) and decrease the CO2 emissions, thus helping PT PLN to achieve their net zero targets while saving costs in electricity production.
Being the island's main power plant, the PLN Lombok GECC plant produces reliable, affordable, and more environmentally friendly electricity for the people of Lombok.
Serving customers all the way
A 5-year Operation and maintenance (O&M) agreement was signed between Wärtsilä and PT PLN in 2019 when the power plant was delivered. With Wärtsilä O&M agreements, we take full responsibility for operating and maintaining your power plant and guarantee its performance, providing reliable, safe and efficient operations, cost predictability and maximised return on investment.
Wärtsilä has had a longstanding and healthy partnership with PT PLN, underscoring our commitment to the Indonesian energy sector. Wärtsilä Energy has established a significant presence in Indonesia, with over 5.5 GW of installed capacity across the country. Currently, we manage at least 25 installations with a collective capacity of nearly 2.0 gigawatts, delivering comprehensive services through our Lifecycle solution agreements and Parts predict. With all our solutions and engine models already in the country, Wärtsilä is well-equipped to meet Indonesia's energy needs and drive forward its energy transition.
